Alright you Salty Petes and Petunias out there. Bit of a different pirate show this year.
July 5-12 ( Saturday-saturday….
)
I know rumours on ye olde treasure chart said Comox start, but after researching further, it seems there isn’t a great spot where people can leave their trucks and trailers for a week.
So, I guess we just launch at the same spot as the last couple years.
First night, Tree Island.
Third night , Jedidiah Island.
Fourth night could be Thormanby Island, but we also want to leave an extra day in the schedule here to allow for a weather window to cross the straight.
So, possibly third and fourth nights on Jedidiah, and fifth on Thormanby, or maybe someone knows of a sweet spot in Sechelt…?
Sixth night at either Newcastle Island campground, or Descanso Bay campground on Gabriola.
Day seven, do we try the south side of Gabriola and brave two sets of Narrows to make it to a finish in Silva Bay, or just go around the boring North side. ?
Maybe see how we feel about that decision when we get there…
Prices will be the same as last year, but each returning team that signs up a new team will receive 50% off the cost of their boat entry.
Registration opens soon.
The Barefoot Raid course & schedule
Click on legs (AM & PM most days) for more details, including date, destinations, and distances. Click upper right corner icon to view full-size chart.
Raid schedule
On most days of the Raid, the fleet will race (or cruise) through two legs: one in the morning; one in the afternoon. Boats will typically raft together for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and will either raft up at anchor for the night with the motherships or go ashore to camp.
2025:
Transit to Fanny Bay Wharf (2.6 km south of Buckley Bay ferry), launch via the boat ramp, and prepare to race. All participants are self-supported today (i.e. feed/transport/shelter yourself).
While there is parking available there, some may want to consider dropping boats off in Fanny Bay a little earlier. We are literally pounding out the details over some rum, sodomy, and lash right now…or maybe it’s a Pogues album but we’ll have more details for you shortly. Just get yer scurvy selves to the ramp here for opening and sign up with Quill on the 1st of April: quillgoldman@gmail.com
He likes interact e-transfers. And rum…but still…the entry fee isn’t optional.
Feel the glee:
The daily cycle of Salish Sea glee
- 07:00 boats and crews raft together for breakfast
- 08:00 skippers meeting
- 09:00 start the morning leg
- Boats race under oar, or sail, or pedal or paddle, until the designated spot
- Lunch served on the motherships
- Afternoon leg starts shortly after the slowest boats arrive
- Crews then race to the pre-determined spot for the evening
- Spend the night either:
- at anchor, alone with their thoughts and blisters
- rafted with the motherships, sharing stories of the days triumphs and losses
- camped on the beach, communing with the terrestrial wilderness and/or the intertidal zone
The days will dawn bright and full of promise, and the cycle will be repeated. A score will be awarded for each leg according to the order of finish (1 for first, 2 for second…) The boat with the lowest score at the end of the Raid receives eternal glory, and a nifty prize…
